Rhode Island officials this week sprayed four patches of the state with pesticides that target mosquitos. That’s in response to the high risk of Eastern Equine Encephalitis – a mosquito-borne virus that has killed two southeastern New Englanders this year, one in Fairhaven, MA, and a second in West Warwick, RI.
Sofia Rudin
Posted inArticle, Education
What Does $20M For Providence School Buildings Get You? Mostly Roof Repairs
Providence students return to school today with the district in the spotlight as it prepares for a state takeover this fall. The takeover follows a damning report on the schools by researchers from Johns Hopkins. One of the major problems identified by that report: the crumbling — and sometimes dangerous — condition of the district’s schools. The city has scrambled over the summer to get buildings ready for students to return. But the infrastructure problems are far from resolved.
Posted inArticle, Health
RI Budget Office Projects DCYF Will Need Additional Funding
Less than two months into the 2020 fiscal year, Rhode Island’s budget office is anticipating the Department of Children, Youth, and Families will need to request additional funding from the legislature. DCYF’s budget for the 2020 fiscal year is $228.6 million. That’s only slightly more than the previous year’s budget of $227.9 million, which DCYF […]
Posted inArticle, Health
Oversight Committee Not Satisfied By Child Welfare Changes, Plans To Keep A Close Eye On DCYF
The chairwoman of the Rhode Island’s House Oversight Committee says she’s not satisfied with changes at the state’s child welfare agency.
Posted inArticle, Health
DCYF Announces Plan To Add Frontline Staff Ahead Of Oversight Meeting
The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families said it will hire an additional 23 frontline workers to help reduce worker caseloads. The announcement comes just one day before a House Oversight Committee hearing to review whether the department is making changes recommended by the Office of the Child Advocate in a Child Fatality […]
Posted inArticle, Environment
Report: Reducing Storm-Water Runoff Could Help Prevent Beach Closures
A new report on fecal bacteria contamination at beaches is calling for state officials to mitigate storm-water runoff and other sources of contamination.
Posted inArticle, Health
Despite Threat To Enforce Title X “Gag Rule,” Some RI Clinics Continue Abortion Counseling
Rhode Island health centers received more than $700,000 dollars in federal funds to provide family planning services to low income patients for the year starting September 2018. That Title X funding could now be compromised by regulations against counseling patients on abortions, but some providers say services will continue anyway. The Trump Administration said earlier […]
Posted inArticle, Business
JUMP Raises Electric Bike Rental Prices In Providence
The cost to ride an electric JUMP bike in Providence is going up.
Posted inArticle, Arts And Culture
Banning Ice Cream On Sunday: A Battle For The Soul Of One Massachusetts Town
Ice cream is now a universally beloved summer treat. But in the early 20th century, the dessert was the flashpoint in a fight for the identity of a small Massachusetts town.
Posted inArticle, Business
Two Decades In The Making, Food Co-op Opens On Providence’s West Side
After almost two decades of planning, a community-owned grocery store is opening this week on Cranston Street, on Providence’s west side. “Our neighborhood does not have a full service grocery store,” said Eliza Dexter Cohen, a member who lives nearby. “And rising inequality makes it very difficult for people to afford the groceries they need […]